05.03.17

Hoeven Presses EPA Administrator to Continue Providing Regulatory Relief, Approve ND's Application to Regulate Class VI Injection Wells

State Regulation Will Help Advance Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Technology

WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven today met with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt to discuss the agency’s progress in rescinding regulations, including the Waters of the U.S rule and the so-called Clean Power Plan. Hoeven also pressed Administrator Pruitt to approve the State of North Dakota’s application to be the primary regulator of Class VI injection wells, which will provide certainty and help to advance carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technologies for both traditional and renewable energy.

“We appreciate Administrator Pruitt working with us to review burdensome EPA regulations, including the Clean Power Plan and the Waters of the U.S. regulation, which have caused uncertainty and unnecessary red tape for job creators in North Dakota,” said Hoeven. “We also discussed our application granting North Dakota primacy for Class VI CO2 storage, which will help provide certainty and enable North Dakota companies to fully utilize carbon capture and storage technology.”

“I appreciated the opportunity to meet with Senator Hoeven today and discuss the issues important to our nation and to the people of North Dakota,” said Administrator Pruitt. “The people of North Dakota and their elected officials deserve an EPA that is focused on the basics of protecting the environment, engaging with state and local partners, and ensuring sensible regulations for economic growth.” 

Regulation of Class VI Wells

  • Approving ND’s Application for Primary Regulation – In June 2013, North Dakota submitted an application to become the primary regulatory body for Class VI injection wells and the application has been pending at the EPA since then. Hoeven wrote to press the former EPA Administrator to approve state’s request. North Dakota primacy regulatory authority over Class VI wells will provide certainty for our energy producers and will also better enable the utilization of tax credits, so CCS technology can become more economically feasible for energy producers. 

Regulatory Relief

  • Rolling back the EPA’s Costly Power Plan – In March, Hoeven was at the White House when the president signed an executive order to stop the EPA’s costly power plan rules for new and existing coal generating power plants and to begin the process of rolling back the regulations. In the last Congress, Hoeven cosponsored and the Senate passed two resolutions to repeal the EPA’s costly power plan rules, which President Obama subsequently vetoed.
  • Rescinding the Waters of the U.S Rule – In February, the president signed an executive order to begin undoing the Obama Administration’s WOTUS rule, directing the EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers to rescind or revise the regulation. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Hoeven worked to prohibit the EPA from implementing the rule in 2016 and 2017. In November, Hoeven also worked with his colleagues to pass a Resolution of Disapproval to repeal the rule, however the Obama Administration vetoed the measure in January. 

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